Display rack



March-8, 1938. F. A. suNDERHAUF DISPLAY RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 28, 1956 Patented Mar. 8, 1938 PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY RACK Frederick A. Sunderhauf, Rutherford, N. J., as-

signor to Reynolds Metals Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware.

Application April 28, 1936, Serial No. 76,732

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-198) The invention relates to display racks.

The object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible display rack constructed from a single flat piece of stock by a simple die cutting and die scoring process and designed for use on counters,l show cases and similar places for displaying in retail stores small articles such as razor blade packages, packages of adhesive tape and other merchandise and adapted when collapsed to be shipped and stored flat and cal pable of being easily and quickly set up for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display rack of this character which will present an ornamental and attractive easel ciect in displaying merchandise and which will enable the displayed goods to be readily inspected and easily removed by the purchaser when a sale is made.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display rack in which the means for supporting the displayed articles will when empty be of an ornamental character and enhance the attractiveness of the display rack.

With these and other objects .in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a display rack constructed in accordance with this invention and arranged for use, the display rack being provided with tabs for supporting and dis- 40 playing razor blade packages.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

4 Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the display rack is formed.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the front member and bottom connecting member of the display rack showing the parts 50 on an enlarged scale to illustrate the construction of the laminated die cut and die scoredstock the parts being arranged at right angles for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 6 is a detail rear elevation of a portion o5 of the display rack showing the interlocking connection between the rear support and the bottom connecting member or base.

Fig. l is a front perspective view of a display rack provided with circular openings for the display of packages of adhesive tape or other 5l merchandise.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the blank from which the display rack shown in Fig. 7 is formed.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawing in which is illustrated a dis- 10I play rack provided with means for displaying razor blade packages, the display rack comprises in its construction an inclined front member l,

a rear inclined support 2 and Aa bottom connecting member 3 constituting a base for the dis- 15 play rack and hinged at its front portion to the inclined front member and extending rearwardly therefrom and detachably interlocked with the inclined support when the display rack is set up for use. The display rack is constructed from a single piece of flat material and is die cut to form a substantially oblong blank 4 which is scored at 5 and die cut at 6to form the rear support 2. The rear support 2 is approximately U- shaped and is composed of spaced parallel sides 2- 'l and a bottom connecting portion` 8 which is provided with a central rectangular recess 9 adapted to be engagedvby an approximately T- shaped head lll of the body member 3.

The scoring 5 hinges. the sides l of the rear 30 support to the front member at opposite sides of the upper portion thereof and the support 2 is adapted to be arranged at an angle to the inclined front member to form a brace or prop for supporting the front member in an inclined 3- position for use. The die cut 6 completely severs the inner edges of the support 2 from the front member and enables the support to lswing on the hinge connections formed by the scoring 5. 40

The blank 4 is scored at Illa to form a hinge connection between the bottom connecting member 3 and the lower edge of the inclined front member I to enable the connecting member Elv to be swung rearwardly to form a base and a connecting element for retaining the inclined support in its supporting position. The blank is die cut to form the T-shaped head lll and ispreferably provided opposite the arms I of the head with recesses l2 forming arcuate edges and 50 adapted to slightly enlarge the space between the arms Il and the body portion of the bottom connecting member 3.

Tle straight sides 'l and the connecting bottom portion 8 of the rear rsupport provides an 55 ".fi'fim a Y ,l open pace 'or opening through which the head Il is adapted to extend to enable the neck portion i3 of the T-shaped head to drop into the recess 9 with the arms li of the T-shaped head in engagement with the rear support.

'I'he U-shaped rear support while shown with straight sides and a straight connecting bottom portion may be of any other desired form and the blank I-ispreferably made of laminated stock of board: I4 ad metal foil I5, as' clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. `The foil provides for attractiveness of the display and the backing-` of card or other board prevents tearing or mu- 1 tilation of the metal foil during shipment and at the same time the laminated structure provides a resilient joint or connection between the lfront member and the bottom member, the spring action of which resilient connection is adapted to cause the T-shaped head of the bottom connecting member tosnap into engagementwith the recess 9 of the support when the T-shapedhead'is placed over the recess 9 and is released.

When the T-shaped head o! the bottom connecting member is in engagement with the recess of the rear support the latter is securely retained in its supporting Aposition and the said detachable connection enables the display stand to bel easily and quickly set up for use or arranged in a.l fiat condition for storing or shipping. Y'Ihe large open space between .thesides] of the support 2 greatly facilitates the setting .upof the display rack for use as the said space provides ample 'f room for the convenient handling of the con-4 necting member land the placing of the connecting memberand the support in proper position for their interlocking engagement.

In the i'ormA of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawing, the front member is provided with a horizontal row of approximately vertical tabs II. The blank I is die cut at I6 and may or may not be die scored-at I1 to fo'rm the horizontal row of vertical tabs l5 and a row of horizontal tabs I8 is-preferably provided below the vertically exposed tabs I5 by die cutting the blank at I9. The blank may or may not-be scored at 20 at one end of the horizontal tabs Il which are provided more for ornamental purposes. The vertically disposed tabs I! of the top roware designed for displaying razor blade packages which may be slipped over the tabs but the said tabs I6 may be employedvtor displaying various other packages of merchandise or small articles.l The display stand provides ample space above the -rows of tabs for advertising matter and it presents an ornamental appearance and it will be seen that the cutting of the substantially U-shaped support from the upper portion of the front member materially contributes tothe ornamental character and attractiveness of the display rack. The material Acut to formthe recess of the rear support provides a central projecting p ortion at the top of the front member and adds to the ornamental -character of the display rack. 'I'he tabs I5 and 4Il haverounded free ends and the openings 2| and 22 formed in the front member by the cutting of the tabs adds to the attractiveness of the display rack.

In Figs. '7 and 8 of the drawing is illustrated another form of the invention in which the'front member 23 isl provided with rows4 of. circular openings 2l fo'r holding circular packages of adhesive tape or other articles of a -similarfshapev which may be readilyl placed in removed from the openings 24.v The display rack shown in Iigs.4

'I and 8 is constructed substantially the same as that illustrated in Figs.- 1 to 6, inclusive, and is formed from a single piece rectangular blank 2l and comprises the said front member 23, a rear4 support 26 and a bottom connecting member `2'I which is provided with a T-shaped head 2l for engaging the recess 29 of. the. support .26. The blank is diescored and cut substantially lthe same as the blank 4v with the exception that the circular openings 24 are provided in place of the tabs i5 and Il and the recesses adjacent the -armsv Il of the T-shaped head 2l provide substantially straight angular-ly disposed edges ll. While tabs and circular openings are shown for supporting the articles to be displayed it will be clear that any other equivalent means may be 'provided formounting such merchandise on the display card formed by the inclined front member.

What is claimed isz- I 1. A compact display rack -formed of a Ysingle generally rectangular-shaped blank die-cut and die-scored into three complementa] sections adapted to be folded into a generally triangular y -form comprising a front or display panel section formed intermediate the other two sections, an adjacent U-shaped rear panel sectionv hinged by the ends of the U to said front-panel intermediate the top and bottom of said front panel and' having a horizontal bottom .'edge equivalent to the width. of the display rack and adapted' throughout its entire length to contact a display counter, said front panel having a ,substantial portion die-cut from stock originally lying within the U :and a connective base panel section for connecting said front and rear sections, said sections being hinged together' and separated by diescoring and die-cutting without substantial loss of material from' the blank, said rear panel. section being provided with a locking recess formed in the bottom of the U and said display panel section being provided with an ornamental projection corresponding in shape to said locking recess, and a locking projection upon said base section adapted to fold into said locking recess in the said rear section position.

2. A compact display rack formedof a single generally rectangular shaped blank die-cut and die-scored into three complemental sections the blank, said-rear panel section being provided with a locking recess formed in the bottom of the U and said display panel. section being prof vided with an ornamental projection corresponding in shape to saidA locking recess, and alock ing projection. upon s aid base section adapted t0 fold into said locking recess in the said rear section to lock'thev rack in display position.

FREDERICK .'A. SUNDERHAUF.

to lock the rack in display -adapted to be folded into a generally triangular 

